Other way around wayland, what ever gave you the numb lips and fingers gave you a flashback dream. Sleep apnea maybe, I should see a doctor.
Panic.
- Thread starter Wayland
- Start date
Scary stuff. Whilst I don't reckon I am a claustrophobic I do have a strong strong dislike for enclosed spaces, I can tolerate it for a while, for instance long haul flights the more I do them the greater the dislike is becoming and the greater sense of dread beforehand. It’s not the flight itself it’s the caged enclosed feeling of the plane, I’am quite a big chap there’s not enough space around me, knees hitting the seat in front nowhere to put my arms. Same as I cannot stand indoor work, it’s not for me at all. I can’t stand modern mummy style sleeping bags, it’s about restriction all this I guess. So I allways go for a bigger spaciest bag I can get. Weight be damned.
Now one time whilst as a small lad I got wedged in a pipe for a few minutes before calming myself and freeing myself but that instant rising panic you described is a very unpleasant business for absolute sure.
As an aside anyone else ever experienced the black hag/sleep paralysis during the night, I have once a few years ago and that’s an unpleasant business too.
Now one time whilst as a small lad I got wedged in a pipe for a few minutes before calming myself and freeing myself but that instant rising panic you described is a very unpleasant business for absolute sure.
As an aside anyone else ever experienced the black hag/sleep paralysis during the night, I have once a few years ago and that’s an unpleasant business too.
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There’s a first time for everything. In past posts I’ve argued against socialized medicine. HOWEVER! You have it at you fingertips and it’s there for precisely for you to use. If your doctor can do nothing more than just give you an exam and reassure you there’s nothing wrong, then his time was well spent. If instead he finds something then early treatment can prevent him having to spend more time and elaborate treatment later. Never be rluctant to avail yourself of a doctor; let him do his job.
The National Health Service over here is under severe stress, years of underinvestment and cuts have pushed it to breaking point. I'm not going to add to that problem.
I think you missed part of my points:
Point #1: Your issue is definitely worth the time and expense
Point #2: Those issues are precisely what the NHS exists for (overburdened or not) If you don’t utilize it for it’s intended purpose (and am I being presumptuous by using “you” in the plural for British society as well as the singular for you, yourself?) then you (again, both singular and plural) only validate those cuts you complain of.
If it is ages since the last ‘episode’ I would not worry.
If it is a recurrent and lifestyle hindering issue, I would seek help.
Hypnosis helped me stopping smoking, and got rid of a very common nightmare many University educated people suffer from.
If it is a recurrent and lifestyle hindering issue, I would seek help.
Hypnosis helped me stopping smoking, and got rid of a very common nightmare many University educated people suffer from.
Well you probably where inhailing lots of co2 then. I have woke up in a panic in a bivvy before with it covering my face, I believe people have actually suffocated in them!
I got stuck in a cave in Somerset in the exact same way but my headtorch was an fx nova with a belt battery.
I haven’t been right since and have had the same sort of panic response a couple of times over the years.
I got stuck circa 10 years ago.
It’s like a weird hindbraind/sub-conscious reflex when conditions match with how you felt when stuck in the cave.
I have since given up caving, to be honest because I lost my bottle.
I haven’t been right since and have had the same sort of panic response a couple of times over the years.
I got stuck circa 10 years ago.
It’s like a weird hindbraind/sub-conscious reflex when conditions match with how you felt when stuck in the cave.
I have since given up caving, to be honest because I lost my bottle.
This.
Looking back on the couple of occasions that I woke up in a panic, it was because I wasn't getting enough oxygen.
The first time was in a C130 Hercules transport plane. We had taken off from Nairobi on our way to Harare. The handful of squaddies in our team had made sure to have hangovers before the flight so as to crash out in the back as soon as we boarded (long Hercules flights are incredibly boring). A couple of us woke up in a panic, ten minutes or so later, as the aircraft was trying to climb to cruise altitude and the rear cabin wouldn't pressurise. We had to return to Nairobi for a week in the Hilton waiting for the spare part to be flown out from the UK (it's a hard life - I know!)
Second time was discovering how my wife likes to sleep - all doors and windows closed and no light whatsoever - most Spanish houses have external, persiana, roller shutters which completely block out the window and she has been used to sleeping like this since childhood. I sometimes joke that she would prefer a closed coffin to sleep in! We've compromised now on open doors (providing there's no light) but the first time sleeping like that, I woke in a panic and the feeling that I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I put it down to a build up of CO2 as there were now two of us in the sealed room.
Funnily enough, she has no issue in an open sided tent, with just the bug netting down - our preferred method of sleeping out.
I didn't know that Ed. You have my understanding and sympathy, It's a very scary position to find yourself in.
I've had a few scapes over the years but that still rates as one of the most frightening for me.
I've had a few caving panics myself when I used to do it. The maggots crawl in dog cave nr ashburton nearly undid me for life! I've had the twisted sleeping bag panic with the drawstring closing off the face hole... horrific moment. Never since have I cinched up a bag. I don't like being zipped into small tents at all which is why I so prefer my tarp and hammock. ... and it's more comfortable anyway. I get panicky if a zip sticks on a jacket and I can't get it off. I start sweating and feel faint. It's horrible.
I've had several weird nighttime experiences where I swear someone sat on my bed though there was nobody there. I was asleep and it woke me up but I froze totaly. Isn't our subconscious a strange thing?
I've had several weird nighttime experiences where I swear someone sat on my bed though there was nobody there. I was asleep and it woke me up but I froze totaly. Isn't our subconscious a strange thing?
Strange but powerful that's for certain.
Open tents or tarps for me whenever possible.
Debs prefers the tent door laced up at night so the only time I do that is if she's camping with me or occasionally if the weather conditions are really foul. ( l'm talking a real hoolie. )
Most times I go out doors to be outdoors.
Open tents or tarps for me whenever possible.
Debs prefers the tent door laced up at night so the only time I do that is if she's camping with me or occasionally if the weather conditions are really foul. ( l'm talking a real hoolie. )
Most times I go out doors to be outdoors.
At least you're not alone in your panics. It happens to us all at some point or another.
it was frightening, it took a hell of a lot of self control to not totally lose my sh'it. Once i was free, getting out felt a lot harder than going in, i was weak as a kitten. For a few weeks after I would wake up in the night in a cold sweat feeling like i was stuck again. I wouldnt recommend it to be honest!
dunno, but i am okay if my arms are free. constrained in a sleeping bag takes a bit of 'concentration' to not bother me.....
I was lucky, we were heading for a different exit so I didn't have to go back into that crawl to get out.
To be honest I'm not sure I could have done it again at the time.
To be honest I'm not sure I could have done it again at the time.
I used to do a lot of caving once upon a time but hated tight squeezes and would never do a sump where I had to totaly submerge my head. I freaked out in the maze in goat church in Burrington Coombe but have managed the drainpipe twice. Couldn't do it again for a third time though as I was too aware of the level of panic I would feel .
I suffer from anxiety anyway but I reckon caving brought my fear of confinement or restriction to a head. I feel it's got worse as I got older. Needless to say I don't go spelunking anymore.!
I suffer from anxiety anyway but I reckon caving brought my fear of confinement or restriction to a head. I feel it's got worse as I got older. Needless to say I don't go spelunking anymore.!
They say that age brings wisdom, I don't know how true that is but I do notice that as I get older I do seem to get more risk averse.
That doesn't mean I avoid risks altogether but I certainly mitigate those risks with far more planning than I used to. Probably over planning really.
Perhaps I'm developing a preppers mentality.
That doesn't mean I avoid risks altogether but I certainly mitigate those risks with far more planning than I used to. Probably over planning really.
Perhaps I'm developing a preppers mentality.
